Mercedes-Benz first introduced the GLC back in 2015 and a facelift for the car is due in 2019. The refreshed model has been photographed testing recently in China.
On the outside we can see the car sports new alloy wheels, new headlamp units as well as a revised grille and bumper. The tail-lamp design has also been tweaked. The rest of the panels are unchanged from the outgoing GLC.
On the inside, the new SUV is expected to get a 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster, a larger 10.25-inch central display and a multi-function touchpad with handwriting recognition. These features are already available in the GLC F-Cell hydrogen fuel-cell variant that had been revealed in September 2017 at Frankfurt.
The new GLC is expected to get an updated diesel engine as well. In all likelihood the new SUV will get the D20 2.0-litre diesel. Reports say that there are plans to offer this engine in three variants – the GLC 200d, GLC 220d and GLC 300d. The petrol engines are expected to remain unchanged. On the new Mercedes GLC 350e 4MATIC plug-in hybrid, the previously used 7-speed automatic transmission is expected to be replaced with a 9-speed automatic gearbox. Unlike the pre-facelift model’s plug-in hybrid, this new one may also be available in right-hand drive markets.
The new GLC is expected to go on sale in international markets by mid-2019. Mercedes has made no statement regarding an India launch as yet though the BMW X3 and Audi Q5 rival is expected to arrive by the end of 2019. In other news, the German brand has confirmed the V-Class for an India launch in early next year.
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